KING JAMES BIBLE DICTIONARY

1. Heb. tokhen, "a task," as weighed and measured out = tally, i.e., the number told off; the full number (Exodus 5:18; see 1 Samuel 18:27; 1 Chronicles 9:28). In Ezekiel 45:11 rendered "measure."

2. Heb. hegeh, "a thought;" "meditation" (Psalms 90:9); meaning properly "as a whisper of sadness," which is soon over, or "as a thought." The LXX. and Vulgate render it "spider;" the Authorized Version and Revised Version, "as a tale" that is told. In Job 37:2 this word is rendered "sound;" Revised Version margin, "muttering;" and in Ezekiel 2:10, "mourning."

TALE, noun [See Tell.] A story; a narrative; the rehearsal of a series of events or adventures, commonly some trifling incidents; or a fictitious narrative; as the tale of a tub. Marmontel's tales; idle tales. Luke 24:11.

We spend our years as a tale that is told Psalms 90:9.

1. Oral relation.

2. Reckoning; account set down. Exodus 5:8.

In packing, they keep a just tale of the number.

3. Number reckoned.

--The ignorant who measure by tale not be weight.

4. A telling; information; disclosure of any thing secret.

Birds--are aptest by their voice to tell tales what they find.

In thee are men that carry tales to shed blood. Ezekiel 22:9.

5. In law, a count or declaration. [Tale, in this sense, is obsolete.]

6. In commerce, a weight for gold and silver in China and other parts of the E. Indies; also, a money of account. In China, each tale is 10 maces=100 candareens-1000 cash.

TALE, verb intransitive To tell stories.

General references
Leviticus 19:16; Psalms 15:1-3; Proverbs 11:13; Proverbs 16:28; Proverbs 17:9; Proverbs 18:8; Proverbs 20:19; Proverbs 26:20-22; 1 Timothy 5:11; 1 Timothy 5:13
Busybody; Slander; Speaking, Evil

Instances of:

Joseph
Genesis 37:2

Israelites
2 Samuel 3:23

Tobiah
2 Samuel 16:6

TA'LEBEARER, noun [tale and bear.] A person who officiously tells tales; one who impertinently communicates intelligence or anecdotes, and makes mischief in society by his officiousness.

Where there is no talebearer the strife ceaseth. Proverbs 26:20.

TA'LEBEARING, adjective Officiously communicating information.

TA'LEBEARING, noun The act of informing officiously; communication of secrets maliciously.

TA'LEFUL, adjective Abounding with stories.

Of silver contained 3,000 shekels (Exodus 38:25, 26), and was equal to 94 3/7 lbs. avoirdupois. The Greek talent, however, as in the LXX., was only 82 1/4 lbs. It was in the form of a circular mass, as the Hebrew name kikkar denotes. A talent of gold was double the weight of a talent of silver (2 Samuel 12:30). Parable of the talents (Matthew 18:24; 25:15).

A unit of measure.

General references
1 Kings 9:14; 1 Kings 9:28; 1 Kings 10:10; 1 Kings 10:14

A weight equal to 3000 shekels, about 125 pounds
Exodus 38:25-26

Value of a talent of gold, about 6000 pounds, or $29,100
Gold

Value of a talent of silver, about 400 pounds, or $1,940
Silver

Parable of the unforgiving servant
Matthew 18:21-35

Parable of the talents
Matthew 25:14-30

[WEIGHTS AND MEASURES]

TAL'ENT, noun [Latin talentum; Gr. to bear, allied to Latin tollo. The word is said to have originally signified a balance or scales.]

1. Among the ancients, a weight, and a coin. The true value of the talent cannot well be ascertained, but it is known that it was different among different nations. The Attic talent the weight, contained 60 Attic minae, or 6000 Attic drachmae, equal to 56 pounds, eleven ounces, English troy weight. The mina being reckoned equal to f3 4s.7d. sterling, or fourteen dollars and a third nearly, the talent was of the value of f193 15s sterling, about $861 dollars. Other computations make it f225 sterling.

The Romans had the great talent and the little talent; the great talent is computed to be equal to f99 6s. 8d. sterling, and the little talent to f75 sterling.

2. talent among the Hebrews, was also a gold coin, the same with a shekel of gold; called also stater, and weighing only four drachmas.

But the Hebrew talent of silver, called cicar, was equivalent to three thousand shekels, or one hundred and thirteen pounds, ten ounces and a fraction, troy weight.

3. Faculty; natural gift or endowment; a metaphorical application of the word, said to be borrowed from the Scriptural parable of the talents. Matthew 25:24.

He is chiefly to be considered in his three different talents, as a critic, a satirist, and a writer of odes.

'Tis not my talent to conceal my thoughts.

4. Eminent abilities; superior genius; as, he is a man of talents.

[Talent, in the singular, is sometimes used in a like sense.]

5. Particular faculty; skill. He has a talent at drawing.

6. [Sp. talante, manner of performing any thing, will, disposition.] Quality; disposition.

TAL'ENTED, adjective Furnished with talents; possessing skill or talents.

TA'LES, noun [Latin talis, plural tales ] In law, tales de circumstantibus, spectators in court, from whom the sheriff is to select men to supply any defect of jurors who are impaneled, but who may not appear, or may be challenged.

TA'LETELLER, noun One who tells tales or stories.

Talionis, lex talionis, [Latin] in law, the law of retaliation. [See Retaliate.]